Trump supports Putin: Media discusses the attack on Zelensky.

Following the negotiations between the delegations of the USA and Russia in Saudi Arabia, which Ukraine was not invited to, Donald Trump made a series of scandalous statements, posts, and speeches directed at Volodymyr Zelensky and our country on February 18-19. Trump claimed that Ukraine supposedly “had three years to negotiate” an agreement and end the war, called Zelensky a “dictator without elections,” insisting on holding elections in Ukraine—despite Ukrainian legislation on martial law and the objective impossibility of conducting elections during wartime. He asserted that Russia allegedly “wants to stop the wild barbarism,” even though it was Moscow that initiated a bloody, unprovoked, and brutal war against Ukraine in 2014, intensified it in 2022, and continues it to this day.

Bubble of Disinformation

The British newspaper The Guardian describes Trump's tirade against Zelensky as a compilation of the biggest hits of Russian disinformation from the past three years. Journalists emphasize that Trump has never referred to Putin as a “dictator without elections.” The Guardian adds that while “all of America's allies know that Trump is trapped in a bubble of disinformation,” the President of Ukraine has become the only one brave enough to say this out loud. “He spoke about the obvious, but even Zelensky could not know how foul the air had become in Trump's bubble. Now we know,” the newspaper notes. This is why, as stated in the article, all of Kyiv's efforts to find an approach to the White House—from flattery to the idea of distributing access to Ukrainian resources—“collapsed in a matter of minutes.”

Longstanding Discontent

CNN journalists note that Trump has been skeptical of Zelensky for years and has questioned his decisions. He has also made it a practice to combine his criticism of former President Joe Biden with that of Zelensky.

However, CNN reports that in recent days, aides to the U.S. president have been closely monitoring Zelensky's statements, particularly his criticism of Ukraine's exclusion from negotiations with Russia in Saudi Arabia. Their frustration grew until midweek, sources told CNN, and erupted after Zelensky told reporters that Trump lives in a “disinformation space.”

Trump indicated to his aides that he would like to respond directly, and subsequently, a post about the “dictator without elections” appeared on Truth Social, according to CNN, citing a U.S. presidential aide. This diplomatic attack was launched by Trump on his way to his golf club in Miami. He then continued it during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) summit.

Few foreign leaders were insulated from Trump's mood swings during his first term; however, it has not yet led to such a significant shift in foreign policy—moving away from long-standing U.S. allies in Europe and turning toward the Kremlin, CNN notes.

Explaining Trump's sharp statements, White House representatives insisted that his main goal is to end Russia's war against Ukraine. However, how he plans to achieve this goal by criticizing Zelensky and expressing support for Russian propaganda remains unclear, journalists conclude.

Politicians Support Zelensky

French President Emmanuel Macron defended Zelensky, stating, “He is a president elected in a free system. This cannot be said about Vladimir Putin, who has been killing his opponents and manipulating elections for a long time,” Macron remarked in response to questions from internet users.

“If Zelensky intends to change the president's mind through public profanity in the media—that's a terrible way to deal with this administration,” asserted current U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.

At the same time, Trump's national security advisor, Mike Waltz, stated that “the president should not be criticized for his attempts to diplomatically end the war.”